


Apologize

by fandomsandanythingelse



Series: This is Home [3]
Category: Sanders Sides (Web Series)
Genre: Apologies, Face Punching, M/M, Swearing, did I rip off some lines directly from pof?, mild violence, remus says mean things, roman punches him in the face, schoolyard violence, technical bullying, yes yes i did
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-22
Updated: 2020-08-22
Packaged: 2021-03-07 00:34:19
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,476
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26018101
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/fandomsandanythingelse/pseuds/fandomsandanythingelse
Summary: The PTA meeting is interrupted by a small fight between Roman and Remus, and Patton realizes that he's done Janus wrong.
Relationships: Deceit | Janus Sanders/Morality | Patton Sanders
Series: This is Home [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1884430
Comments: 3
Kudos: 96





	Apologize

It was a normal PTA meeting. Patton was trying to keep Susan and Karen from fighting, Anna from being too… well, Anna, while also making sure he wasn’t actively pushing Janus’ buttons too much. He couldn’t wait to leave the presidency.

“Look, all I’m saying is that if we had a bouncy castle--”

“Anna, we didn't have the budget for a bouncy castle,” Patton said. “We barely had the budget to reprint the fliers. And we still made a good amount of money.”

Anna opened her mouth to respond when a girl, probably about third grade poked her head in.

"I- uh, I'm looking for Roman and Remus' mom and dad?"

Patton stood up, glancing at Janus, then started walking toward the door. "What happened?"

"I dunno, they got into a fight or something."

Janus gasped, and he hurried to the gym, Patton following close behind.

Patton was expecting to see Roman bloodied up and crying, with Remus laughing over him. That is not what he saw.

Roman was crying, yes, but there wasn't a single scratch on him. Remus, on the other hand, had a pretty nasty looking bruise forming over his left eye. There was a teacher that Patton recognized as one of the other first grade teachers, Ms. Johnson.

Janus murmured something under his breath and rushed to his son.

Patton went to Roman and brushed the hair out of his face. "What happened? Are you hurt?"

Roman sobbed and hugged Patton. "He said mean things about you and Mommy."

Patton glanced over at Janus and Remus, then back to Roman. "What things did he say?"

"He- he- he said that I don't- don't have a mommy, and that you're making her up." Roman started crying even harder.

Patton glanced over at Janus, furious, then turned back to Roman. "It's okay, sweetie, Mommy is real, and I'll show you a picture of her when we get home, okay?"

Roman nodded and wiped at his eyes.

Patton felt a hand on his shoulder, and he looked up at Janus.

"Promising him ice cream for punching my kid?"

Patton stood. "I'm not. Roman, do you want to tell Mr. Mentiras what Remus said to you?"

Roman sniffed and repeated what he'd told Patton.

Janus looked from Roman to Patton. "And you actually believe that?"

Patton crossed his arms. "Yes, I do because I'm not raising my children to be liars."

"Oh, but I am?"

"I didn't say that."

"You damn well implied it."

"Mr. Mentiras, there are little ears here," Ms. Johnson said. 

Janus either didn't hear her or didn't care, as he just continued talking. "God it's like you think you're better than me just because… I don't even know."

“I don’t think that,” Patton said.

“You sure as hell act like you do.”

“Little ears,” Ms. Johnson repeated.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” Patton glanced at the teacher with an apologetic look.

“No?” Janus laughed once. “Then let me spell it out for you. You always act like you’re some kind of saint, morally superior to everyone else around you. You treat me like your personal pack mule, someone to load off all the work you don’t want to do, and then berate me whenever I mess up to make it seem like I’m not the one carrying your pathetic ass.”

“Mr. Mentiras!” Ms. Johnson scolded. “There are little ears here who don’t need to hear that kind of language, so if you two could take this argument _outside.”_

Patton just stood there in shock. He had no idea that Janus felt that way. He’d just assumed that Janus didn't want to do the work he was assigned, not that he was overwhelmed by it.

Janus adjusted his jacket. “I will be in the nurse’s office.” And he walked out, Remus in tow.

Patton blinked a couple of times, then looked at the teacher with an apologetic smile. “Sorry about that.” He took Roman’s hand and started walking toward the nurse’s office.

“Daddy, where are we going?” Roman asked.

“The nurse’s office. You have to apologize for Remus for punching him in the face, and I have to apologize to Mr. Mentiras for being mean to him.”

Roman frowned. “I don’t wanna apologize.”

Patton stopped and knelt to look Roman in the eye. “Roman, kiddo, I know Remus said mean stuff, but that’s no excuse to hit him or anyone.”

Roman crossed his arms and pouted. “I don’t wanna.”

“You don’t have to want to, you just have to do it, okay?”

Roman stomped his foot once, then said, “Fine.”

Patton smiled a little. “Thank you.”

“You’re welcome,” Roman grumbled.

Patton stood back up and started walking toward the nurse’s office again, making sure Roman was behind him.

Janus was reaching for an ice pack since the nurse had gone home already. Or was it that she just wasn’t here on Tuesdays? He couldn’t remember, but when he glanced up, there was goddamn Patton standing in the doorway, Roman clinging to his leg.

“What do you want?”

“Well, first things first, Roman still hasn’t apologized to Remus,” Patton said. He looked down at Roman and said, “Go on.”

Roman sighed and stepped closer to Remus. “I’m sorry for punching you in the face, even though you said something mean.”

“Roman-” Patton said, probably about to chastise Roman for the half-assed apology.

“It’s okay,” Remus interrupted. “I thought it was funny the way you started crying.”

“Oh my god.” Janus looked up at Patton apologetically, then knelt by Remus and said, “Remus, how would you feel if someone said something mean about your mom?” He could feel Patton’s eyes on him but decided to ignore it.

Remus looked at the ground. “I’d be mad.”

“So you understand why Roman punched you?” Janus asked, before looking at Roman and adding, “Even though it’s not okay to punch anyone ever.”

Remus nodded. “Yeah, I understand.”

“Okay, good. So can you apologize to Roman now?”

“Roman, I’m sorry for saying that your mom doesn’t exist.”

Roman looked up at his dad. “Do I have to forgive him?”

“You can say that you accept his apology,” Patton said.

Roman looked back at Remus. “I accept your apology.”

Janus glanced up at Patton, who looked like he wanted to say something else. Janus looked back to Remus and pulled his keys out of his pocket. “Here, I’m gonna stay and talk with Mr. Sanders for a little longer, can you go get the car started?”

Remus grabbed the keys and booked it out of the nurse’s office.

“Roman, can you go wait for me in the hall?” Patton asked.

“Yeah,” Roman said, already walking out.

“Thanks, kiddo.”

Janus stood up. “I don’t like talking bad about their mom in front of my boys. I know they’re young, I want them to be able to form their own opinions of her.”

Patton nodded and bit his lip. “Hey Janus?”

Janus looked up at Patton. “Yes?”

“Do you- do you think there's a limit on how many times someone can say sorry before you have to admit... that they're just bad for you?

Janus rolled his eyes. “Oh, definitely not. I'd love for someone to ruin my entire life one apology at a time.”

Patton nodded. He looked upset, but like he was trying not to show it. “Okay.”

He started to walk away and Janus cursed his need to be sarcastic in vulnerable moments. “Patton, wait.”

Patton stopped, turning back to look at Janus.

“The reality is that…” Janus paused, trying to find the right words. “It depends.”

“On what?”

“Well, where to start? How many things has this person had to apologize for? How frequently do they have to apologize for things? How terrible were the things that they did?”

Patton nodded and took a deep breath. “Well, Janus, I’m so sorry. I’ve… made assumptions about you and your work ethic, and I’ve been absolutely terrible and petty to you. And I just… I want to be a better person and a better friend to you. If you’ll let me.”

Janus looked at Patton and saw the sincerity in his eyes. He took a deep breath. “I accept your apology.”

Patton smiled a little. “You do?”

“And I forgive you. Just so we’re clear on that.”

“Thank you for that.”

“Oh, and…” Janus decided to get it out of the way, rather than leave Patton guessing. “I would… like to… be your friend.”

Patton’s smile turned into a grin. “Can I hug you?

Janus rolled his eyes and opened his arms. “I suppose.”

Patton grinned and wrapped his arms around Janus. Janus returned the hug, which was surprisingly nice. Maybe it was Patton’s hug or the apology, but Janus couldn’t help but think that maybe he didn't hate Patton quite as much as he thought he did.


End file.
